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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA)

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

 

Perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA) is a member of a group of perfluorinated chemicals used in many consumer products. FBSA and other perfluorinated chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, accelerated puberty, liver and immune system damage, and thyroid changes. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and they accumulate in people. Click here to read more about perfluorinated chemicals.

2017-2019:

FOUND
FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

1

states detected

40

utilities detected

1.2 million

people served

0

states over health guideline

0

utilities over health guideline

0

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for FBSA

Cancer

Harm to the immune system

Hormone disruption

Harm to fetal growth and child development

Harm to the liver

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 1 ppt

The EWG Health Guideline of 1 ppt for FBSA was defined by EWG as based on studies by Phillipe Grandjean of Harvard University and many other independent researchers who found reduced effectiveness of vaccines and adverse impacts on mammary gland development from exposure to PFOA and PFOS, the two PFAS most widely detected in drinking water. This health guideline protects against applies to the entire class of PFAS detected in water.

ppt = parts per trillion

States reporting FBSA in drinking water

UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State UtilitiesPeople Served
North Carolina401,173,208
MORE
LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce FBSA

Activated Carbon

Reverse Osmosis

Utilities with the highest amounts of FBSA, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES
LARGE UTILITIES
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Pittsboro, Town of*Pittsboro, NC1 of 12.60 ppt4,401
Chapel Ridge S/dCary, NC1 of 12.60 ppt798
Hoke County Regional--rockfishRaeford, NC2 of 22.10 ppt5,778
Moore County Public Utilities-hidden Lakes S/dCarthage, NC1 of 12.10 ppt165
East Moore Water District*Carthage, NC1 of 12.10 ppt6,436
Lillington Water System - VandercroftLillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt718
Lillington Water System-riverbluffLillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt93
Bragg Communities/ntaFort Bragg, NC1 of 12.10 ppt3,733
Brookwood South/fayetteville Public Works CommissionHampstead, NC2 of 22.10 ppt2,357
Graystone S/dFuquay-varina, NC1 of 12.10 ppt50
Town of Holly SpringsHolly Springs, NC1 of 12.10 ppt38,500
Woodlake Water & Sewer Inc.Hampstead, NC1 of 12.10 ppt1,945
Harnett County Department of Public Utilities*Lillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt101,389
Coats, Town ofCoats, NC1 of 12.10 ppt2,692
Fayetteville Public Works Commission*Fayetteville, NC2 of 22.10 ppt217,948
Stedman, Town of*Stedman, NC2 of 22.10 ppt1,506
Linden, Town ofLinden, NC1 of 12.10 ppt1,973
Eastgate S/d Fayetteville Public Works CommissionCharlotte, NC2 of 22.10 ppt205
Brettonwood Hills S/dHampstead, NC2 of 22.10 ppt187
Kelly Hill S/dHampstead, NC2 of 22.10 ppt109
Woodland Run Mobile Home S/dHampstead, NC1 of 12.10 ppt108
Tanglewood South Mobile Home Park/fayetteville Public Works CommissionCharlotte, NC2 of 22.10 ppt259
Rain Tree II Fayetteville Public Works CommissionHampstead, NC2 of 22.10 ppt292
Angier, Town ofAngier, NC1 of 12.10 ppt7,612
Lillington Water SystemLillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt3,883
Seymour Johnson Air Force BaseSeymour Johnson, NC1 of 11.80 ppt6,875
City of Goldsboro*Goldsboro, NC1 of 11.80 ppt34,959
City of Greensboro*Greensboro, NC2 of 21.75 ppt290,201
Neuse Regional Water and Sewer Authority*La Grange, NC1 of 11.40 ppt93,238
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC1 of 30.467 ppt153,202

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

MORE
LESS
UtilityLocationTestsAverage levelPeople served
Fayetteville Public Works Commission*Fayetteville, NC2 of 22.10 ppt217,948
Harnett County Department of Public Utilities*Lillington, NC1 of 12.10 ppt101,389
Town of Holly SpringsHolly Springs, NC1 of 12.10 ppt38,500
City of Goldsboro*Goldsboro, NC1 of 11.80 ppt34,959
City of Greensboro*Greensboro, NC2 of 21.75 ppt290,201
Neuse Regional Water and Sewer Authority*La Grange, NC1 of 11.40 ppt93,238
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - WilmingtonWilmington, NC1 of 30.467 ppt153,202

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Perfluorobutane sulfonamide (FBSA), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.